Artificial-tooth anchor.



I Patented Nov. 2,' 1915.

W. F. SHAW.

4 TQE WILLIAM F. siriew, OF PUEBLO, COLOBADO.

ARTIFICIAL-TOOTH ANCHOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

mema Nov. 2, 1915.

Application filed March 24, 1915. Serial No. 16,659.

To all 'whom it may conccm i Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. SHAW, acitizen of the United States, residing at Pueblo, in the county ofPueblo and State of Colorado, have invented a new and usefulArtificial-Tooth Anchor, of which the *following is a .specification. vO

The present invention appertans to dental bridge-work, and aims toprovide a novel and improved device for anchoring an artficial tooth orbridge to a natural tooth.

It is the object of the invention to provide an anchor for dentalbridge-work or an artificial tooth which will not require the eX-cessive grinding away of the natural tooth, which will be invisible soas not'to cover or encumber the natural tooth, which can be securelyfastened to the natural tooth, and which will be both simple andinexpensive in Construction, and simple, practical and efficient in itsapplication to the natural tooth.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of Construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of what is claimed without departin from the spirit' of theinvention.

[he invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawing, whereinz- Figure l is a perspective view of theimproved anchor. F ig. 2 is a sectional View of a ,pair of teethillustratng the device employed for anchoring an artificial tooth toanatural tooth. Fig. 3 is a plan View illustrating a pair ot' the anchorsemployed for supporting a bridge for a plurality of artificial teetharranged between a pair of natural teeth. i

In carrying out the invention, the anchor is formed from a plate orstrip of gold or other sheet metal, the plate or strip being doubled toprovide a two-ply web 2, having a loop 3 at one end, and the angularlyeX- tending or bent portions 4 at its other end. The loop 3 constitutesthe intermediate portion of the plate or strip, and the portions 4constitute the end portions of the plate. The portions 4 are flush, andprovide an abutment to which an artificial tooth or bridge may becemented or otherwise -seg cured. The loop or member 3 is relativelyshort, and the web 2 preferably increases in width from the loop 3 to.the abutment portons 4, and the portions 4 preferably project beyond theweb 2.

The anchor embodies `a second element which is in the form of a pin orpost 5 havingone end secured within the loop 3, and having its other endpointed, if desired, and projecting from the loop 3 in the samedirection that the abutment portions 4 project from the web 2. The pinor post 5 may be welded, soldered or otherwise Secured within the loop3. l

In applyng the anchor to a natural tooth, reference being had to Fig. 2,the natural tooth' 7 is provided with an approxmately central bore 6 forthe reception of the pin or standard 5 and loop 3, and a slot 8 is cutor formed in the tooth between the bore 6 and one side of the tooth. Thebore 6 and slot 8 are properly formed for receiving the pin 5 and web 2,respectively, whereby the anchor will be embedded firmly within thenatural tooth, with the abutment portions 4 resting snugly against therespective side of the tooth. The web 2 in fittng within the slot orkerf and the pin 5 or loop or portion 3 fittng within the bore 6, willsecurely fasten the anchor within the natural tooth, and the anchor maybe cemented or otherwise Secured within the tooth to prevent the anchorfrom slipping out of engagement with the tooth. The artificial tooth 9which lies at one side of the natural tooth 7 is soldered, cemented orotherwise fastened to the abutment portions 4, so that the artificialtooth will be carried firnly by the natural tooth.

A pair of the anchors may be enployed, as illustrated in Fig. 3, forsupporting a bridge, each of the two anchors being applied to therespective natural tooth 7' in the manner that the single anchor isapplied to the natural tooth 7 as above described. The teeth 7' areprovided with bores 6' for receivng the pins 5 and loops 3 of the twoanchors, and the said teeth are also provided with slots 8' forreceiving the webs 2. The bridge 10' is firmly soldered or otherwisesecured to the abutment portions 4, and the artificial teeth 9' arefastened in any suitable manner to the bridge 10' to be supportedbetween the natural teeth 7'. In this use of the anchors, the abutnentportions 4 as well as the bridge will lie at the lingual sides of theteeth, so that neither the anchors or bridge will be exposed to View. Inthe use of the anchor as illustrated in Fig. 2, the abutment portions 4:will lie between the two teeth, and thus be concealed from View.

The present anchor is of advantge for numerous reasons, which will heobvous ,away of the teeth upon the eXterior thereof,

which is objectionable. The crowns are also objectionable since they areexposedto View, Whereas in the present case, the anchorsor attachingmembers are hidden from View so that the teeth will be unencumbered attheir forward or oute' sides. The present anchor s snple and nexpensve ncon- Copies of this patent may be obtained for struction, but at 'thesame time, is thoroughly practical and efficient in use. The anchors maybe quickly and easily appled to the teeth, and without great cost, orrather, with a minimum eXpense.

Having thus described the invention what* is claimed as new isz A dentalanchorcomprising a web edapt ed to fit in a slot in a tooth and havingan abutment portion, at one end, and a pin' attached to the other end ofthe web and projecting from the web to' fit within a bore in the toothgy I In testmony that 'I claim the foregoing asmy own; I'have heretoaffixed my signa tu'e in the presence of two witnesses.

` WILLIAM F. SHAW.

Witnesses: i 4

NEWELL A. Gossn'r'r, 'BEULAH K. SHAW. v

five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, W'ashigton,`I). C. v i ,V

